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LA County recommends indoor masking after increase in COVID cases Los Angeles County said it is "strongly recommending" residents wear masks indoors due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. ABC News ABC News

On Thursday, the largest county in the United States said it is "strongly recommending" people wear face coverings in indoor public settings but stopped short of requiring them.

In a sign of how the new coronavirus wave continues to spread across California, two-thirds of the state’s counties are now in the high COVID-19 community level, in which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal masking in indoor public spaces.

This comes as health officials are warning of concerning weeks ahead as two new ultra-contagious Omicron subvariants — BA.4 and BA.5 — spread. Experts believe the subvariants, which are not only especially contagious but also capable of reinfecting those who have survived earlier Omicron infection, are a major factor behind the continued persistence of coronavirus transmission across California.

So far, Los Angeles County health officials have not imposed new masking rules. But they have warned that might be necessary, perhaps later in July, if new coronavirus-positive hospitalizations continue to rise. Though experts are concerned, there is still uncertainty about how serious a summer wave will get.

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LA County COVID data show stark difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated New data from Los Angeles County shows a sharp difference in the likelihood of death or hospitalization from COVID-19 in those who have been vaccinated versus those who have not. ABC7 Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles County reported more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases in one day on Thursday - but as grim as that news sounds, new data also shows how effective vaccines have been at containing the virus' most severe consequences: deaths and hospitalizations.